Marquette Community Signage Planning

Marquette, Iowa

As part of Iowa’s Living Roadways Community Visioning Program, JBC Landscape Architects prepared a comprehensive signage scheme for the City of Marquette to enhance its visibility, reinforce its Port of Discovery identity, and improve visitor wayfinding. The plan introduces a coordinated system of entry signs, directional signage, trail map kiosks, and destination signs that highlight Marquette’s amenities while guiding visitors away from areas not suited for tourism.

The signage network is designed to capture attention at multiple scales, beginning with entry monuments along US Highway 18 and Iowa Highway 76 and continuing with secondary wayfinding signs at key intersections. Trailhead kiosks and destination signage provide detailed information on recreational opportunities, trail routes, and amenities tailored to each location. A signature pier archway at the Riverfront Boardwalk and Marina, framed by limestone columns and illuminated Corten steel lettering, marries Marquette’s Port of Discovery identity with its railroad heritage and serves as a landmark visible from the Highway 18 bridge.

By filling gaps in the existing wayfinding system, the proposed signage hierarchy helps motorists, pedestrians, and recreationists easily navigate Marquette while reducing dependence on cell service. Together, these improvements strengthen Marquette’s role as a welcoming gateway and highlight the city’s natural, cultural, and recreational assets.